青海：保护四大湿地

青海省围绕全国湿地保护工程规划，强化项目储备。由青海省林业局委托国家林业局规划院编制的青海西宁湿地保护与恢复建设工程，青海可可西里卓乃湖、太阳湖湿地保护建设工程，青海黑河源湿地保护与恢复建设工程，青海贵德黄河清国家湿地公园保护与恢复建设工程等可行性研究报告日前已通过省级论证，并上报国家林业局。     

黑河机场公路建设对生态环境的影响及防治对策

以黑河机场路建设为例,分析、评价了公路建设在施工期和运行期造成的植被破坏、水土流失、土壤和农业生产破坏、湿地功能受损等生态环境影响,提出了防治对策与建议。     

青海湖湿地生态旅游资源开发刍议

青海湖湿地是中国国际重要湿地中面积最大、建立最早的湿地之一,但由于开发不当,环境保护意识淡薄,其独特的湿地生态旅游资源景观破坏严重;缺乏湿地保护管理的协调运行机制,导致湿地生态旅游资源的脆弱性,因此处理好青海湖湿地生态旅游资源开发和保护是一个重要的课题。分析了青海湖湿地生态旅游资源开发的开发现状,针对开发利用中的不足提出了促进青海湖湿地生态旅游健康发展的对策。     

东洞庭湖湿地生态旅游开发与持续利用研究

东洞庭湖湿地是我国长江中下游地区三大湿地资源集中地之一，在其特殊的地理环境、自然条件和人类活动的长期共同作用下，形成了独特的湿地生态旅游资源景观。文章分析了东洞庭湖湿地旅游资源的特征，提出了不同类型湿地生态旅游的开发模式，并在此基础上，提出了持续开发湿地旅游资源的对策建议，以期为全面开发湿地的社会、经济和生态综合效应，实现湿地生态旅游资源的持续利用，提供决策参考。     

油田开发对湿地的影响及合理利用湿地问题

协调好湿地保护与石油、天然气资源开发的关系已经越来越受到人们的重视。针对油田在开发过程中对湿地所产生的直接或间接的影响,重点讨论了将不利影响降到最小、保护湿地资源、保护湿地的生态环境及充分发挥湿地的各种功能等问题。指出了湿地保护和合理利用湿地的必要性,并提出了相应的保护和利用湿地的措施。     

湖北石首天鹅洲湿地旅游资源综合评价

湿地是地球上水陆相互作用形成的独特生态系统,湿地评价能帮助人们更好地开发和利用湿地资源.通过采用多层次分析法(AHP),对湖北天鹅洲湿地旅游资源的价值进行分层、分权重的评价实践,探讨了一种定性与定量相结合的湿地评价方法,为天鹅洲湿地旅游资源的开发强度和可利用潜力提供指导.     

湿地生态环境影响评价研究的进展

鉴于湿地资源开发的环境影响评价的重要性以及我国目前所处困境,探讨了湿地生态环境影响评价中的重点和难点问题。在分析湿地生态系统特征及其开发利用产生的生态环境问题基础上,论述了湿地资源开发存在的问题:适宜于湿地资源开发环境影响评价(EIA)的生态监测体系尚未建立。文章在分析我国湿地资源开发产生的生态环境问题的基础上,探讨了湿地资源开发可持续环境影响评价(EIA)的理论,研究了开展湿地资源开发可持续EIA面临的困境,并提出了相应的对策。     

青海公路建设对湿地资源环境造成的影响及保护对策

青藏高原由于特殊的地理位置和气候条件,湿地资源十分丰富,公路建设是国民经济发展的重要基础设施,然而公路建设又是一项对自然生态环境影响较大的开发行为,其中就包括对湿地资源环境的影响。本文综合分析了青海省公路建设项目对各类湿地生态系统的影响,提出了公路建设中应在选线、施工、运营中采取综合措施,减少对湿地的破坏,合理保护湿地资源的对策。     

湿润区与干旱区典型湖泊湿地对比案例研究

选取东部湿润区与西北干早区典型湖泊湿地--洞庭湖湿地与艾比湖湿地,对其湿地资源特征、湿地生态服务功能及价值、湿地退化的表征和退化湿地生态恢复对策等方面进行了比较研究.通过研究发现,湿润区湖泊湿地资源禀赋优于干早区湖泊湿地,湿润区湖泊湿地与干旱区湖泊湿地均具有较强的生态服务功能和较高的价值,在湿地退化表征方面有共性也有差异,针对不同气候区域的退化湖泊湿地应采取不同的恢复对策.     

盐城湿地保护与生态旅游开发

盐城海滨湿地资源丰富，已成为重要的环境资源和旅游资源。从湿地的变化和现状着手，阐述了保护盐城湿地的必要性和重要性，在保护中倡导自养型经济战略——生态旅游。分析了盐城湿地生态旅游开发的可行性，从而提出规划意见，以实现盐城湿地旅游的可持续发展。     

流域比较视角的钱塘江与黑河流域水资源问题及对策研究——基于水足迹核算分析

产品贸易及水权交易使得水资源问题"跨流域化",不再单纯是流域内部管理问题。本文从流域比较视角出发,在区分蓝、绿、灰三种水足迹的基础上,应用水足迹模型,测算了两流域典型地区的水足迹,进行流域水资源问题对比分析,并分析了经济发展模式对流域水资源可持续性的影响。结果发现,杭州市经济用水中灰色水足迹占总量的90%,而张掖市经济用水中绿色水足迹占总量的60.8%,说明钱塘江流域水资源问题在于质,而黑河流域水资源问题在于量;经济发展模式中的产业结构、水资源开发效率、工业化路径等影响流域水资源可持续利用,同时基于GDP导向的流域间的水资源逆向配置,更加剧了流域水资源矛盾。最后根据流域对比结果提出治理措施,从而形成流域间协作的良性循环。     

From wasteland to wetland: creating a community ecological resource from waste water in regional New South Wales

In areas where rivers have been altered and regulated through dams, the effect on wetland ecosystems can lead to 'wastage' of the land as natural systems are destroyed. In response to the effects of streamflow regulation on a wetland near the city of Albury, on the Murray River, the development of the Wonga Wetlands and associated site rehabilitation addresses two key issues: wasteland and waste water. A Community Advisory Committee has been actively and directly involved in the project, initiated and implemented by the Albury City Council, to restore an area of original wetland into a community ecological resource that utilises 100% of the domestic, commercial and industrial urban 'waste' water from the city's water treatment plant. This project represents a significant direction in the way communities and local governments approach resource recovery. This paper analyses the Wonga Wetlands project from the perspective of sustainable management of waste in terms of water resources and presents it as a model for community-based environmental application and long-term resource sustainability.     

From wasteland to wetland: creating a community ecological resource from waste water in regional New South Wales

In areas where rivers have been altered and regulated through dams, the effect on wetland ecosystems can lead to 'wastage' of the land as natural systems are destroyed. In response to the effects of streamflow regulation on a wetland near the city of Albury, on the Murray River, the development of the Wonga Wetlands and associated site rehabilitation addresses two key issues: wasteland and waste water. A Community Advisory Committee has been actively and directly involved in the project, initiated and implemented by the Albury City Council, to restore an area of original wetland into a community ecological resource that utilises 100% of the domestic, commercial and industrial urban 'waste' water from the city's water treatment plant. This project represents a significant direction in the way communities and local governments approach resource recovery. This paper analyses the Wonga Wetlands project from the perspective of sustainable management of waste in terms of water resources and presents it as a model for community-based environmental application and long-term resource sustainability.     

Vegetation and carbon sequestration and their relation to water resources in an inland river basin of Northwest China

In the Heihe River Basin in the arid inland area of northwest China, the distribution of water resources in vegetation landscape zones controls the ecosystems. The carbon sequestration capacity of vegetation is analyzed in relation to water resources and vegetation growing conditions. During the last 20 years, the vegetation ecosystems have degenerated in the Heihe River Basin. Simulation using the C-FIX model indicates that, at present, the total amount of NPP of vegetation accounts for about 18.16 TgC, and the average value is 106 gC/m(2)/yr over the whole basin. NPP has generally the highest value in the upperstream mountain area, middlestream artificial oases area, downstream river bank area, alluvial fan and the terminal lake depression where vegetation grows relatively well. The lowest value is found in the vast downstream desert and Gobi area. Protection of vegetation ecosystems and enhancement of carbon sequestration require such inland river basins as the Heihe River Basin to be brought under management in a comprehensive way, taking water as a key, to carry out a rational and efficient allocation and utilization of water resources.     

Environmental Effects of Aquifer Overexploitation: A Case Study in the Highlands of Mexico

There are several environmental processes occurring under aquifer overexploitation conditions. These processes include groundwater table decline, subsidence, attenuation and drying of springs, decrease of river flow, and increased pollution vulnerability, among others processes. Some of these effects have been observed on the Upper Basin of the Lerma River. The Lerma River begins in the SE of the Valley of Toluca at 2,600 m asl, in the wetland known as Lagoons of Almoloya del Río. This wetland is made up of a group of lagoons, which are an important aquatic system from an environmental point of view. The water inflow of this wetland is a discharge of springs, which occur between the fractured volcanic material of the mountain range and granular volcanic–continental deposits of the Valley of Toluca aquifer. The intensive exploitation of the Valley of Toluca aquifer to supply urban and industrial water to Mexico City and Toluca began in 1950 and is responsible for a steady decline of piezometric levels of 1–3.5 m/yr. Other effects of this exploitation—the drying of the wetland, the decrease of river flow and the land subsidence—caused serious ecological and social impacts. The authorities declared this aquifer as overexploited in order to reduce the exploitation and preserve the availability of water resources in this important region.     

Herbicide and nutrient transport from an irrigation district into the South Saskatchewan River

Pesticides and nutrients can be transported from treated agricultural land in irrigation runoff and thus can affect the quality of receiving waters. A 3-yr study was carried out to assess possible detrimental effects on the downstream water quality of the South Saskatchewan River due to herbicide and plant nutrient inputs via drainage water from an irrigation district. Automated water samplers and flow monitors were used to intensively sample the drainage water and to monitor daily flows in two major drainage ditches, which drained approximately 40% of the flood-irrigated land within the irrigation district. Over three years, there were no detectable inputs of ethalfluralin into the river and those of trifluralin were less than 0.002% of the amount applied to flood-irrigated fields. Inputs of MCPA, bromoxynil, dicamba and mecoprop were 0.06% or less of the amounts applied, whereas that for clopyralid was 0.31%. The relatively higher input (1.4%) of 2,4-D to the river was probably due its presence in the irrigation water. Corresponding inputs of P (as total P) and N (as nitrate plus ammonia) were 2.2 and 1.9% of applied fertilizer, respectively. Due to dilution of the drainage water in the river, maximum daily herbicide (with the exception of 2,4-D) and nutrient loadings to the river would not have resulted in significant concentration increases in the river water. There was no consistent remedial effect on herbicides entering the river due to passage of the drainage water through a natural wetland. In contrast, a considerable portion of the nutrients entering the river originated from the wetland.     

Georelational Analysis of Soil Type, Soil Salt Content, Landform, and Land Use in the Yellow River Delta, China

The Yellow River Delta, one of China’s three major river deltas, is becoming a major region for the development of agriculture and fisheries. Protecting the delicate ecology of newly formed aquatic systems as well as the evolution of soils, natural vegetation, and fauna on older upland environments in the delta is a priority in planning for the wise use of the delta’s resources for future agricultural development. In this article, we use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to analyze relationships between land-use/land-cover characteristics in the Dongying municipality, one of the most intensely developed areas of the delta, and spatial variations in soil salinity and landforms. This analysis reveals that soil salt content decreases from regionally high values in isolated depressions to relatively moderate values in embanked former back swamps, with the lowest values occurring in abandoned river courses. Comparing the present land use on this soil salinity–landform pattern shows that it is basically at odds with general concepts of land suitability for agricultural utilization of saline soils. Crop-based agriculture in the region is probably overdeveloped, whereas more appropriate agricultural development, like cattle and forest production, is underrepresented. Future development should focus on converting farmland in embanked former back swamps and abandoned river courses into grasslands and forests. Crop-based agriculture (up to 151,000 ha) could be planned at the low-salinity terrace uplands and flood plains. The article provides guidelines for decision-makers regarding agricultural land use and wetland protection in the Yellow River Delta.     

Wetland cultivation and hydrological management in eastern Africa: Matching community and hydrological needs through sustainable wetland use

Wetlands are critical natural resources in developing countries where they perform a range of environmental functions and provide numerous socio-economic benefits to local communities and a wider population. In recent years, however, many wetlands throughout eastern Africa have come under extreme pressure as government policies, socio-economic change and population pressure have stimulated a need for more agriculturally productive land. Although wetland drainage and cultivation can make a key contribution to food and livelihood security in the short term, in the long term there are concerns over the sustainability of this utilization and the maintenance of wetland benefits. This article draws upon recent research carried out in western Ethiopia, which addressed the sustainability of wetland agriculture in an area of increasing food insecurity and population pressure. It discusses the impacts of drainage and cultivation on wetland hydrology and draws attention to local wetland management strategies, particularly those characterized by multiple use of wetlands, where agriculture exists alongside other wetland uses. The article suggests that where multiple wetland uses exist, a range of benefits can be sustained with little evidence of environmental degradation. Ways of promoting and empowering such sustainable wetland management systems are discussed in the context of the wider need for water security throughout the region.     

Project River Recovery: Restoration of Braided Gravel-Bed River Habitat in New Zealand’s High Country

Ecological restoration is increasingly becoming a primary component of broader environmental and water resources management programs throughout the world. The New Zealand Department of Conservation implemented Project River Recovery (PRR) in 1991 to restore unique braided gravel-bed river and wetland habitat in the Upper Waitaki Basin in New Zealand’s high country of the South Island, which has been severely impacted by hydroelectric power development. These braided rivers are highly dynamic, diverse, and globally important ecosystems and provide critical habitat to numerous native wading and shore bird species, including several threatened species such as the black stilt. The objective of this study was to review and summarize PRR after more than 10 years of implementation to provide information and transfer knowledge to other nations and restoration programs. Site visits were conducted, discussions were held with key project staff, and project reports and related literature were reviewed. Primary components of the program include pest plant and animal control, wetland construction and enhancement, a significant research and monitoring component, and public awareness. The study found that PRR is an excellent example of an ecological restoration program focusing on conserving and restoring unique habitat for threatened native bird species, but that also includes several secondary objectives. Transfer of knowledge from PRR could benefit ecological restoration programs in other parts of the world, particularly riverine floodplain and braided river restoration. PRR could achieve even greater success with expanded goals, additional resources, and increased integration of science with management, especially broader consideration of hydrologic and geomorphologic effects and restoration opportunities.     

Natural resources assessment in the Okavango Delta, Botswana: Case studies of some key resources

This article makes an assessment of the following key natural resources in the Okavango Delta: arable land, basket-making resources, fish stocks, and river reeds. Non-data-intensive socio-economic indicators (as opposed to conventional data-intensive indicators) of trends in resource prices, trends in labour time for resource extraction, substitution of less preferred commodities, maximum sustainable yield and perceived scarcity were utilized to assess the scarcity of the resources. The study reveals that basket-weaving resources, land for flood recession arable (molapo) agriculture, and river reeds are increasingly becoming scarce in the harvesting areas, whereas fish stocks are still abundant. It is recommended that appropriate policies should be introduced for the management of natural resources. Property rights could be granted to communities to manage natural resources such as fish and veld products in line with the wildlife model for community based natural resources management (CBNRM). In addition, the authors suggest that the Government of Botswana should take the responsibility for allocating land for molapo arable farming in order to make it more accessible.